2019 Spring Festival Self-Drive Tour of the US West Coast: San Francisco - Monterey - San Diego - Los Angeles

📍 San Francisco · 👁 6168 reads

I had always wanted to visit the US, and finally made up my mind during the 2018 National Day holiday to start researching the DS-160 form. I did everything on my own, consulting various online guides to fill out the form, schedule the visa interview, and prepare the supporting documents. In late November, my mom, my husband, and I successfully got our visas together. (I won't go into detail about the visa preparation and interview.)

We immediately started looking at flights as soon as we got the visa. Prices during the Spring Festival are not cheap. Round trip from Shanghai to San Francisco and back from Los Angeles cost 5,900 yuan per person. They say the best way to experience the US West Coast is by driving along Highway 1, so we had a lot to prepare before departure, including routes, attractions, hotel bookings, etc. Time was a bit tight, but luckily I found an app that helped with itinerary planning, saving a lot of time. I added the places I wanted to visit step by step, sorted them, and found the most reasonable route. It also had point-to-point time estimates and navigation, which was very handy. After finishing, I could generate a PDF and send it directly to my travel companions via WeChat for easy reference.

We departed with great weather. Thanks to my sister, we were even upgraded to first class. We ate, drank, and slept all the way there. Due to the time difference, we arrived in San Francisco earlier than our departure time (we left on the afternoon of the 27th in China and arrived at 9:00 AM local time on the 27th).

We were the first off the plane, so there was almost no queue at immigration. The customs officer asked a few questions and we were quickly cleared. Following the signs, we took the airport train to the rental car counter. After paying the deposit, we went directly to the parking lot to choose our car. Even though there were mostly only three of us, we booked a 7-seater in advance back home because we were worried about luggage. This red Dodge accompanied us on our 12-day America trip.

We bought drinking water, fruits, and snacks at a nearby Costco to keep in the car. Then, we officially started our West Coast trip!

First stop: Google Headquarters.

This is a gathering place for world talent, but since it was Sunday, there weren't many people, just a few scattered tourists strolling around.

For dinner on the first day, we had Chinese food. After the long flight, our mouths felt bland, so we found a Sichuan restaurant to eat something spicy.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel around 9 PM. Surprisingly, we had no jet lag and didn't feel tired at all — we were still excited...

This was our first time in San Francisco. There are a few must-see places: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, Lombard Street, and Fisherman's Wharf. They are all close to each other, just a short drive away.

Lombard Street was interesting, with its winding road and steep surrounding streets. But the season wasn't great, and the photos didn't come out as beautiful as the ones online. We purposely drove down from the top, going through all the curves.

For lunch, my sister took us to Fisherman's Wharf to have clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, crab legs, and oysters. It was delicious. The restaurant was busy, almost full.

The above attractions took only half a day. In the afternoon, we went to Union Square and shopped at Macy's, but I felt that our shopping mode hadn't fully kicked in yet, so we found an outlet to visit. This wasn't originally in our itinerary, but at the outlet, we started buying pants, shoes, and bags.

After shopping at the outlet, it was a bit late. We followed a friend's recommendation to try In-N-Out Burger. It was indeed different from burgers in China — their beef is freshly grilled, hot, and juicy, while the meat in China is dry and tough.

Side note —

On the way back to the hotel, we accidentally drove onto a fast track section. Only after passing through did we realize the red "Fast Pass" sign above, while the adjacent lanes had manned toll booths. (The problem was that our lane had no barrier or toll booth.) Back at the hotel, we felt a bit uneasy — if we broke the rules, the fine could be hefty. The next day, I wrote an email to the US rental car company. They replied quickly, saying the car had a built-in chip, and they would charge us the toll and a service fee later. After returning to China, we indeed received a charge, but luckily it wasn't too high. Just a reminder: be sure to watch the lane signs. Bay Area Transportation (San Mateo - Lane 3): $6 + $3.95 service fee, total $9.95.

This day was my favorite of the entire trip. The scenery and food along the way were exactly to my taste.

Old Fisherman's Wharf was quiet and peaceful, with rows of sailboats docked along the pier — very impressive.

Lunch was at Old Fisherman. The steak there was delicious, with a slightly sweet flavor that suited us Shanghainese. American portions are huge; the three of us ordered three main dishes, but couldn't finish the salmon pasta — we really couldn't eat anymore. If you don't have a huge appetite, three people ordering two main dishes is enough.

Driving along Highway 1, we wound through mountains and forests, with the Pacific Ocean on our right, a seamless blue horizon that felt so soothing.

We paid $10 per car to drive the 17-Mile Drive loop. They say the mansions along 17-Mile Drive are owned by the wealthy; you can tell by comparing them to the houses by the roadside.

I had chosen the hotel carefully beforehand, and it was pretty good. Check-in and check-out were quick, and parking was free. The room had a fireplace, cozy and warm, with a small balcony outside. There was a mall nearby with stores like Victoria's Secret and Banana Republic. We had pizza for dinner at the mall.

Continuing eastward, the scenery along the way was really beautiful. I always feel that a phone camera can't capture what you see with your own eyes, so everyone must drive Highway 1 at least once. There were many scenic pull-offs where we could stop, get out, and enjoy the sea breeze — so refreshing.

Bixby Bridge.

Hotel Corque in Solvang.

Solvang is small but very pretty, with Nordic architecture that makes you feel like you've stepped into a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The downside is that it's so tranquil that shops close early, haha.

In the morning, we found a place with local Danish specialties for pancake breakfast. The portions were, as always, huge. The food was good, and the service was very friendly.

While we were still eating breakfast, an elderly gentleman was already starting his steak — no wonder foreigners are so strong and healthy.

After leaving the beautiful town, we drove to Santa Barbara Beach and Santa Monica Beach, and took a photo at the end of Route 66.

The weather wasn't great. To get to San Diego on time, we drove in the carpool lane, passing many cars. (On some US highways, lanes are reserved for vehicles with two or more people — similar to Shanghai's Bus Lane 71, haha.)

We checked into the Town and Country Hotel that evening — it was my least favorite hotel of the entire West Coast trip. Online, it looked big and nice, but the room was tiny, probably smaller than a basic Chinese chain hotel like Home Inn. The soundproofing was terrible; the neighbors, also from China, were talking loudly at night, so we had to knock on the wall to remind them. I honestly advise against choosing this hotel. Since we arrived late and felt a bit unwell, we didn't go out and ate at the hotel's restaurant, which wasn't good either. The parking lot was huge though; if you told the front desk you had a car, they'd give you a pass for free in-and-out.

The famous "Unconditional Surrender" statue.

We were already hungry by noon, so we quickly found an outdoor eatery nearby and had the best burger there — large, juicy, and full of meat. (Restaurant name: Carnitas' Snack Shack.)

San Diego Old Town State Historic Park was near the hotel, so we wandered around. Not much to see.

Since we were in the US, we had to eat lobster and steak. We searched and found Red Lobster, which also has branches in China. We had an extremely salty lobster soup — my husband ordered a bowl but only took one sip; it was all wasted. Later we realized we could have asked them to redo it.

Today we were heading to Los Angeles. I checked and found there was an outlet along the way: Carlsbad Outlet. It was relatively close to the city, with many Chinese shoppers. After a quick look, we left. The rain grew heavier, and my iPhone automatically issued a flood emergency alert. On the road, we saw three accidents: one car flipped over, one crashed into another, and one hit the embankment. Luckily, our family's experienced driver got us through safely. My biggest wish in Los Angeles was to visit Universal Studios. I had already planned to buy a Fast Pass, and we booked two nights at the nearby Hilton ($1,600 RMB per night plus $28 daily parking). But... the rain kept pouring, so we couldn't go. We stayed in LA the longest — 4 days — but it only stopped raining on the day we left. Oh well, next time I come, I'll definitely do the West Coast again.

Classic American breakfast. After returning home, I followed a recipe and made a delicious homemade egg mayonnaise — thumbs up!

Rainy day. We woke up after 9 AM. Our entire trip was very relaxed; we went out only after waking up naturally.

We quickly walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame back and forth. Honestly, it was quite different from what I imagined — really mediocre.

For lunch, we went to Little Tokyo. After eating Western food every day, we suddenly craved something different. We had Japanese takoyaki (not as good as in Japan) and ramen (also just okay).

We left the car in a parking lot and walked to Angels Flight, less than a kilometer away. We spent one dollar to experience the world's shortest railway.

Then we walked back, drove to Chinatown for a look. It was probably New Year's Eve back in China, but Chinatown wasn't lively at all. It happened to be my husband's birthday. To celebrate, we chose a steakhouse in Beverly Hills (haha, steak again).

South Coast Plaza.

This place gathers several department stores like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom. Our American friend said it's a women's shopping paradise, so how could we miss it? I bought a Gucci bag there. The place was so huge we couldn't finish shopping; we had dinner at the mall. We accidentally stumbled into a very upscale restaurant (lobster and steak again, haha). The waitstaff were all formally dressed, and the wine cabinets held rows of customers' private bottles. Even the bread before the meal was incredibly delicious, and best of all, before the main course, they replaced our plates with hot, freshly heated ones — very refined. After eating, we realized that the points from our earlier purchases were enough to redeem $100! But unfortunately, the mall was closed and the service desk was unattended. The redemption was only valid for that day, so we wasted $100. Ugh...

Before returning home, my husband still wanted to shop — he's the spendthrift in our family, buying nonstop. So we went to another outlet: Camarillo Premium Outlets. It had a wide variety of brands and relatively fewer Chinese tourists.

On the way back to the hotel, we experienced a terrifying moment. We were really scared. A car in the adjacent lane was rear-ended by another vehicle, and its entire rear half was crushed. It spun several times just 5-6 meters away from us and then drifted right in front of our car. Fortunately, we weren't going fast, and my husband reacted quickly. Although sparks from the wreckage flew onto the front of our car, we were all safe. The next day, we checked and found only a few scratches. (So when renting a car abroad, make sure to buy full insurance.)

Dinner was Korean tofu stew and BBQ beef. The beef was tasty and plentiful.

We had to prepare to leave for the airport that evening. During the day, we made one last shopping trip at Costco and 99 Ranch Market to stock up. We also bought a set of large and small suitcases from Samsonite — two pieces for only $170 total.

For our last meal in the US, my niece wanted Vietnamese pho. I found it a bit too salty.

I must say, returning the rental car in the US was very convenient. You drive to the designated area, leave the key in the car, someone records the mileage, and you're done. Then you take their shuttle to the terminal. The shuttle drivers were all African-American; they asked which airline we were flying since LAX has several terminals. We rested in the lounge, had a snack, and then headed home!

Looking forward to the next trip!

Travel Notes Directory:

1. Visa

2. Itinerary Planning

3. Day 1

4. Day 2

5. Day 3

6. Day 4

7. Day 5

8. Day 6

9. Day 7

10. Day 8